Knowledge Base

Is Vaping Making You Chronically Dehydrated?

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Believe it or not, it probably is – all e-cigs take away from your ability to absorb water. That’s because in your e-juice, there’s a substance called Propylene Glycol. (This is standard across the board, no matter which brand you go with.)

The name of the compound itself isn’t too important – what you need to know is that it’s a hygroscopic substance. This means that it binds with the water molecules in your body… which, of course, means that those same molecules can’t be utilized for your body’s functions.

This leads to your body absorbing less water than you could if you weren’t vaping. What would be an adequate amount of water while not vaping might not be enough while you are vaping.

Get it? Vaping dehydrates you. Before we go over easy cures for this ailment, you have to know one thing…

It’s not the act of vaping itself!

Without knowing about how e-juice contains a hygroscopic substance, you might think that the symptoms of dehydration are a result of the vaping process itself. Common dehydration symptoms include…

Dry mouth

Dry eyes

Headache

Constipation (in extreme cases)

Fatigue

You may feel these effects come on when you’re vaping, but it’s not a result of vaping (inhaling water vapor) itself. It’s just how Propylene Glycol interacts with your body. The ingredient Propylene Glycol is perfectly safe as long as you balance it out with an increase in your water consumption.

How to fix dehydration from vaping

The “eight glasses of water a day theory” is a myth. Every person needs a different amount of water to stay hydrated… some can get by just taking sips throughout the day, whereas others will feel as if they’re about to collapse if they don’t always have water bottles on them.

That being said, it’s a pretty good guideline. Most people will be able to stay hydrated with 64oz or more of water per day.

That all goes out the window when you start vaping, though. Because of the Propylene Glycol, it’s guaranteed that a certain amount of your water consumption will be taken up. You need more – eight glasses a day isn’t bad to aim for, but sometimes, even more is needed.

The first thing to ask: how much do you vape?

There’s no set amount of extra water that you need. It all depends on how many drags you take per day and the size of each drag. Not really easy to measure…

You want to err on the side of caution. There’s nothing wrong with getting too much water – over 90% of the human body is made up of it. In fact, there are a slew of benefits that you get from ensuring that you’re properly hydrated (and not just skirting on the bare surface of being hydrated).

But you’re not going to be carrying a gallon of water everywhere you go to stay super hydrated like bodybuilders – that’s unrealistic, inconvenient (you’ll be rushing to the bathroom every hour), and really, it’s not necessary.

Here are four simple tips to balancing out your vaping with the amount of water that you need. Follow these to the letter and it’ll be like the Propylene Glycol isn’t even present.

By eating fruits, you’ll get more of the essential vitamins and minerals that you need… and you’ll get an easy increase in your water consumption. Some people just aren’t on board with drinking so much liquid.

Tip 2 – drink while vaping

Although drinking while vaping has no benefit over drinking water throughout the day, it’s easier to remember. Sip on a glass of water while you vape – this can often be enough to counterbalance the dehydration aspect.

Tip 3 – keep a gallon near you

If you still feel dehydrated after adding fruits to your diet and drinking while vaping, keep a big gallon of water next to your bed or desk. Whenever you remember, take a gulp – a few big gulps of water per day will most likely set you over your necessary water limit for the day. (Assuming that you keep your normal water intake consistent.)

We’re not saying to go crazy on sugary drinks, but it’s better to stay hydrated with a sugary drink than to not drink the drink and be dehydrated.

Dehydration and vaping: conclusion

Unfortunately, vaping does indeed make you dehydrated… but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it can be easily rectified. Just balance your vaping out with more liquid than you’d usually intake and you’re all set.

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